According to Star Trek, the warp drive is an advanced engine that distorts the space and time and allows starships to travel faster than the speed of light. But while the engine didn’t appear in Gene Roddenberry’s fictional universe until the year 2063, NASA is already trying to make the warp drive a reality.

It almost sounds too good to be true, but physicist Harold White and his team at NASA have already proposed designs for a real-life starship Enterprise. A spacecraft with a functioning warp drive could potentially travel to nearby stars in a matter of weeks — all without violating Einstein’s theory of special relativity.

A bit of fluff but good to see they’re still working on it.

Spiny Norman said:

According to Star Trek, the warp drive is an advanced engine that distorts the space and time and allows starships to travel faster than the speed of light. But while the engine didn’t appear in Gene Roddenberry’s fictional universe until the year 2063, NASA is already trying to make the warp drive a reality.

It almost sounds too good to be true, but physicist Harold White and his team at NASA have already proposed designs for a real-life starship Enterprise. A spacecraft with a functioning warp drive could potentially travel to nearby stars in a matter of weeks — all without violating Einstein’s theory of special relativity.

A bit of fluff but good to see they’re still working on it.

But where do they get the Dylithium crystals from?

Skeptic Pete said:

But where do they get the Dylithium crystals from?

It is extracted from the cortex of mental health patients who have been prescribed lithium for more than 6 months….

That looks like a spare part for a washing machine.

At those speeds even hitting a grain of sand would be catastrophic, so how do they propose avoiding
such collisions?

bob(from black rock) said:

At those speeds even hitting a grain of sand would be catastrophic, so how do they propose avoiding
such collisions?

Nothing in the bubble at the start = no collision.

jjjust moi said:

bob(from black rock) said:

At those speeds even hitting a grain of sand would be catastrophic, so how do they propose avoiding
such collisions?

Because they are moving a bubble of space time.

Nothing in the bubble at the start = no collision.

Exactly, it’s known as the Bubble Constant.

jjjust moi said:

bob(from black rock) said:

At those speeds even hitting a grain of sand would be catastrophic, so how do they propose avoiding
such collisions?

Because they are moving a bubble of space time.

Nothing in the bubble at the start = no collision.

So what’s the bubble made from? cos it will hit the grains of sand or fuckin large lumps of rock?

Peak Warming Man said:

jjjust moi said:

bob(from black rock) said:

At those speeds even hitting a grain of sand would be catastrophic, so how do they propose avoiding
such collisions?

Because they are moving a bubble of space time.

Nothing in the bubble at the start = no collision.

Exactly, it’s known as the Bubble Constant.

Not to be confused with the Hubble constant, tho I’m not sure what that is?

bob(from black rock) said:

jjjust moi said:

bob(from black rock) said:

At those speeds even hitting a grain of sand would be catastrophic, so how do they propose avoiding
such collisions?

Because they are moving a bubble of space time.

Nothing in the bubble at the start = no collision.

So what’s the bubble made from? cos it will hit the grains of sand or fuckin large lumps of rock?

As jjjust moi said, the bubble itself isn’t made of matter, it’s made of a very thin layer of warped spacetime.

Here’s a diagram from Wikipedia for a two dimensional version of such a warp bubble. In this diagram, the space that the craft travels through is two dimensional. The 3rd spatial dimension in the diagram represents the gravity-like curvature of the warp.

bob(from black rock) said:

Not to be confused with the Hubble constant, tho I’m not sure what that is?

The Hubble constant is the rate that space is expanding; it’s not exactly constant.

Peak Warming Man said:

jjjust moi said:

bob(from black rock) said:

At those speeds even hitting a grain of sand would be catastrophic, so how do they propose avoiding
such collisions?

Because they are moving a bubble of space time.

Nothing in the bubble at the start = no collision.

Exactly, it’s known as the Bubble Constant.

So, are you saying bubblecar and his pushbike can travel faster than light?

“Warp drive” is pure fiction for macroscopic objects because it violates General Relativity.

I like to split “impossible” into a hierarchy of categories. Something that is mathematically impossible may be physically impossible if it requires physics beyond the standard model. Something that is physically possible may be technically impossible if the universe isn’t cooperating in placing resources within reach. Something that is technically possible may be financially impossible. Something that is financially possible may be politically impossible. Something that is politically impossible may become possible if political imperatives change, and ditto with financial etc. I think NASA needs to avoid the physically impossible.

Some examples.

Mathematically impossible
Probabilities less than zero or greater than one

Physically impossible
Warp drive
Human travel outside the visible universe

Technically impossible
Human travel to another galaxy
Bussard ramscoop
Human travel at high relativistic speeds
Travel by wormhole

Financially impossible but technically feasible
Human travel to another solar system
Terraforming

Politically impossible, but financially and technically feasible
Spacesuit in an aerosol spray can
Mars Direct
Space probe to another solar system
Lifeboats for spacecraft
Spacecraft powered by small atomic bombs

mollwollfumble said:

I like to split “impossible” into a hierarchy of categories. Something that is mathematically impossible may be physically impossible if it requires physics beyond the standard model. Something that is physically possible may be technically impossible if the universe isn’t cooperating in placing resources within reach. Something that is technically possible may be financially impossible. Something that is financially possible may be politically impossible. Something that is politically impossible may become possible if political imperatives change, and ditto with financial etc. I think NASA needs to avoid the physically impossible.

Some examples.

Mathematically impossible
Probabilities less than zero or greater than one

Physically impossible
Warp drive
Human travel outside the visible universe

Technically impossible
Human travel to another galaxy
Bussard ramscoop
Human travel at high relativistic speeds
Travel by wormhole

Financially impossible but technically feasible
Human travel to another solar system
Terraforming

Politically impossible, but financially and technically feasible
Spacesuit in an aerosol spray can
Mars Direct
Space probe to another solar system
Lifeboats for spacecraft
Spacecraft powered by small atomic bombs

Agreed.

“Something that is mathematically impossible may be physically impossible “

I guess you meant mathematically possible.

>>Politically impossible, but financially and technically feasible
Reduction in global population.

Tamb said:

>>Politically impossible, but financially and technically feasible
Reduction in global population.

Will become physically certain, one way or another.

The Rev Dodgson said:

Tamb said:

>>Politically impossible, but financially and technically feasible
Reduction in global population.

Will become physically certain, one way or another.

Tamb said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

Tamb said:

>>Politically impossible, but financially and technically feasible
Reduction in global population.

Will become physically certain, one way or another.

Agree.

There was an old lady from Bright,
Who could travel much faster than light,
She left one day
In a relative way,
And arrived the previous night.

bob(from black rock) said:

Tamb said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

Will become physically certain, one way or another.

Agree.

There was an old lady from Bright,
Who could travel much faster than light,
She left one day
In a relative way,
And arrived the previous night.

> “Something that is mathematically impossible may be physically impossible “. I guess you meant mathematically possible.

Oops, yes.

> Some examples.

Mathematically impossible
Douglas Adams Bistromath Drive.

Physically impossible
Douglas Adams Infinite Improbability Drive.